Night Spent With an Angel
by Jaida857
Summary: "There are individuals in this world that are blind to the wonderful people around them, and he was clearly one of them. But he must have been very blind to have missed seeing you." - Carlisle/Esme, one-shot for now, K plus for mentioned violence.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or it's characters, credit to Stephenie Meyer.**

**The idea for this came to me very suddenly. It took me much longer than usual to write, as most of my one-shot's are done within half an hour, and this one I fussed over for days. None the less, I love how it turned out. I don't know what I was expecting when I started writing it, but I am very satisfied. It's a one-shot for now, but there is a possibility I will add a few more chapters, and if so, I would switch to Carlisle's POV for at least the next chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this!**

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><p><em><strong>Esme<strong>_

It was times like these that the large bed in our room seemed necessary. It wasn't like either of us had a need for sleep, but it was a lot more romantic than lying next to one another on the floor. I doubt I would even have noticed though, what with the man next to me. It was often like that with Carlisle- I would zone out for a moment and get lost in the depths of his golden eyes.

These were the times I cherished most. Edward was out hunting, and we had the house to ourselves for the next day and a half. It had been two years since Carlisle found me nearly dead after I jumped off a cliff. Thinking back on it, I didn't regret it one bit, because if I hadn't done it, I never would have re-met with him. I can't even think about what would have happened to me had I not run away when I learned I was pregnant...

The mere thought of my previous life made me cringe. The high-point of it had been when I fell out of that tree and broke my leg. That's when I first met him, though I was only sixteen at the point, and yet I knew I was in love with him already. It had to be fate that he found me again. I'd even go as far as saying it made the years of being married to Charles worth it.

At the moment, Carlisle and I were simply lying side by side, doing nothing in particular. I had my head resting on his chest, enclosed in his embrace, his hand gently stroking my cheek. Neither of us spoke, because we didn't need to. Simply being together was more than enough, and yet at times like these the memories of my past often haunted me, and he didn't even know about it.

If I was able to cry, I would have. Instead, I let out a quiet sob, catching his attention immediately.

"Esme, what's wrong, my love?" he asked in a whisper, and I felt his arms tighten around me unconsciously. This only made me sob again, and I buried my head in his chest.

"I still don't know what I did to deserve someone as perfect as you," I whispered, lifting my head slightly. He said nothing for a moment, and then I could hear his quiet laugh.

"You lived," he answered simply, kissing my hair softly. "And it is I who should be wondering how someone as amazing, beautiful, loving, and angelic as you could have been brought to me."

This was exactly what I was referring to. He always spoke to me this way, in the kindest tone, and he always treated me as if I were still a delicate human. And yet he knew nothing of my human life between the two times we met. He never pushed me for information, because he knew I was uncomfortable speaking of it. I was sure Edward had told him something by now, but he never mentioned it to me. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, but I didn't want him to worry about me any more than he already did, and it was just too painful to think about. However, I knew I would tell him when I was ready, and I finally felt ready.

"I don't think you entirely understand," I continued, raising my eyes to meet his warming gaze. "When I was human, I never thought something like this could be possible, that I could meet someone like you. I'm sure Edward already told you about it of course."

"Actually, he never did tell me anything," he told me. "At least not on purpose. He may have let something slip about a year ago, but he doesn't like to give away information that he shouldn't have known in the first place. I knew you would tell me when you were ready."

"Things were just so... different when I was with Charles," I explained, cringing again at his name. "It wasn't the fact that I wasn't in love with him, but he wasn't what a husband should be."

"I'm not entirely sure I understand dear," he said. "Edward only mentioned that you had enough reason to leave when discovering you were pregnant, but he never said why."

I took a deep, unneeded breath to clear my head, inhaling Carlisle's sweet scent. It made me dizzy and it was hard to concentrate, but he deserved to know the truth.

"Charles always acted as if I was doing something wrong," I began slowly, even now trying to keep my voice from shaking. "He liked to take his anger and annoyance out on me instead of dealing with the problem. I never did anything to stop him, because I didn't think it was my place. He- he used to hit me when he was angry with me, and do whatever he wanted to me."

I felt Carlisle tense the second I said it. I realized that I had closed my eyes while telling him, and so I opened them again, and when I looked up at his face, I could see that he was holding back rage for my sake. For the first time since I laid eyes upon him, he almost looked like, well, like a vampire. I didn't need to read his mind to tell what he was thinking.

"That's why meeting you was so amazing," I whispered, the sobs starting again. "I'd never had someone who actually loved me or cared about what I wanted."

I closed my eyes again, hiding my face from view, unable to hold back my emotions now that I'd said it. Everything that man had done to me came flooding back all at once; every curse shouted at me, every time he hit me because I said something he didn't like, every time he came home enraged and I was helpless to do anything as he stole my innocence little by little.

I was brought back to the present when I felt my hair being pushed away out of my face by the smoothest of hands with the gentlest touch. He placed a hand under my chin and delicately lifted my face to his. When I gazed into Carlisle's golden eyes, every trace of rage had disappeared.

"No one would deserve that, and I can't tell you how much that applies to you dear. There are individuals in this world that are blind to the wonderful people around them, and he was clearly one of them. But he must have been very blind to have missed seeing you. Firstly, I don't think you realize how beautiful you were even when you were human. You're much too modest about yourself, and that's just another thing I love. You're always try to see the best in everyone, even when it isn't there. You were strong enough to deal with everything that had happened to you, and because of that I found you again.

"I can quite honestly say you were unlike any human I had met before. I remember that day more clearly than almost any other. Even as you fell you did it with a certain grace I had never seen in a sixteen year old girl before. I hadn't been standing near enough to catch you, for I would have, even if it would have given me away. When you looked at me, it was different than the way most other woman did. I could see it in your eyes, and it must have been what you saw in mine. I was in love with you the moment I saw you.

"When I had to leave, it was one of the hardest things I had ever done. But I knew that I couldn't let my feelings be put ahead of your safety. I never dreamed that I could meet you again, even if you weren't conscious. I knew that I wouldn't be able to save you unless I changed you, and so I made the choice. You were very understanding, even happy about it when you awoke. I remember the look on your face when you first opened your eyes. I had never seen someone with such hope in their gaze, such happiness, such love..."

He trailed off after that, almost as if he forgot that he was speaking to me as he was lost in his story. I had a hard time forming words in my mouth for a moment. Carlisle seemed to notice this and smiled. Instead of speaking, I brought my face to his and kissed him. I could tell he hadn't been expecting it, but he seemed pleasantly surprised. I didn't want to pull away. I would have been more than happy to stay like that with him until Edward got back, but I knew I should say something to him in reply. I reluctantly pulled away, though I kept my face close to his.

"Carlisle, I-" I began, but he interrupted with a gentle touch of his finger to my lips.

"I'm afraid I haven't even begun listing the things I love about you my dear," he spoke softly, almost a whisper, and I found myself intoxicated by the sounds of his voice and the feel of his arms around me. I fell silent as he continued speaking; if my heart were still beating, it would have been racing by now.

"There's something different about you, fascinating really. It's something that made me remember you above all others I had met in my few hundred years. Not a day went by in those ten years that we were apart that you weren't in my mind. Everywhere I traveled, it was as if you were there with me. I could hear the sound of your voice on the wind, feel the warmth of your gaze in the sunrise. I wanted nothing more than to go back to see you again, but I felt that would be selfish of me, to give you hope that I would stay when I never would have changed you had I another choice.

"I've never seen someone capable of such compassion. I could see that you weren't satisfied with your life and the people around you, and yet you still loved them unconditionally, giving them the gift of your kindness no matter how they acted towards you. It was almost hard to watch as you gave so much to them while they seemed to take advantage of it, and yet it was also mesmerizing to watch. I knew you for such a short time, and I hardly knew you at all, but you left such an impression on me with the simple things you did.

"The way you would help your mother tend to your garden in your front yard, enjoying yourself even in the most unfavorable weather. How you would stop speaking mid-sentence to watch a butterfly glide past you. How you would be able to smile even in the darkest of hours, and help to lift the spirits of others so effortlessly. I noticed many subtle things as I found myself unable to keep away from you; the way you flicked your bangs out of your eyes, the way your laughter was the most infectious sound of all, the way your eyes lit up when you made someone smile. That was one of the most memorable things about you. Your smile. I've seen many people fake happiness for the sake of others, but I could see that there was nothing fake about yours. When you smiled, you were genuinely glad about something, and nothing could change that for you.

"You see my dear, I could go on for days, listing every last detail of you that I fell in love with. However, I believe it would hold more meaning for me to leave it at that, and allow you to discover the rest for yourself. After all, we have plenty of time. So to answer your original question: you've done more than enough to deserve everything wonderful that ever has and will happen to you. No one deserves happiness more than you do, and I'll make absolute certain to do everything in my power to make myself worthy of an angel such as yourself. Esme, my love, my life, my angel, my heart, my soul, my eternity, my reason for existence..."

And that was it. The sobs began again, this time of joy. I closed my eyes and laid my head down on Carlisle's chest again, feelings his arms secure around me as they had been before. A hand with a feather-light touch gently caressed my cheek, smoothing my hair back out of my face. We stayed this way for a long, blissful moment, and then I lifted my head up once again, bringing my face just centimeters from his.

"Thank you," I whispered, almost too soft for even him to hear. And then I kissed him.

There are moments in our life, often short, often simple, and often under-appreciated by others, that we find impossible to forget. The impression of them are burned into our memory for the rest of our lives, stored deep in our minds, waiting to be unlocked when they are needed again. These moments we too often take for granted, but there are times when we have a sudden moment of clarity, and every last detail of these eternal moments are sealed in our minds for the rest of forever, however long forever may be.

For us, forever can be taken quite literally. I knew right then and there that I would never forget this night, this night I spent with an angel...


End file.
